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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — a price
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — a safe
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com